Key achievements in 2006

In order to develop a formal CSR strategy and accompanying communication plan we hired a CSR expert to co-ordinate the development of a CSR platform. A team of employees from across Canada created a framework for a realigned community investment program and communication pieces were developed to inform employees of achievements in furthering the CSR plan.

We developed a Canada-wide CSR Committee, and developed guidelines for the selection of the signature charity. We chose ThinkFirst Foundation of Canada, whose mission is to prevent brain and spinal cord injury through education aimed at children and youths promoting healthy behaviour.

We sponsored the Weekend to End Breast Cancer, which was a resounding success. 130 Aviva employees participated and raised $105,000 for the cause.

To congratulate employees for the company’s strong financial performance in 2005, celebration events were held in March 2006 at Aviva offices across Canada.

To support employee wellness initiatives, we opened a corporate health centre at head office in September 2006. The stretch target of 300 members has already been exceeded with a total membership base of 315.

As part of our “Winning with people” strategy we invested $5.9 million in leadership and learning and development programs during 2006. According to the American Society of Training and Development, Aviva Canada is in the top quartile for dedicating significant funding to training and development.

To raise awareness among employees, we published numerous articles on the corporate intranet regarding Aviva’s community partnerships across Canada.

We launched a Customer Experience Database (CED), which enables us to use the information gathered to identify trends, build on successes and action process improvements in our opportunity areas. The Complaint Ratio (number of complaints v total number of claims), identified using the CED, is less than 0.5%. The database will be rolled out fully to the rest of the organization commencing January 2007.

We launched a new product rewarding policyholders in Quebec who drive hybrid vehicles with an automatic 10% discount on their Aviva auto policy premium. The discount supports our commitment to environmental management, rewarding those policyholders who make a conscious choice to protect the environment. We also further promoted our Autograph program, which uses telematic technology to assess the risks to the vehicle, by recording speed, time of day and mileage. It rewards drivers (discounts between 15-25%) who make responsible choices by driving fewer kilometres during off-peak times, when its less risky.

A highly significant investment in 2006 has been in e-commerce capabilities, in order to make doing business with Aviva easy, fast and satisfying to customers and the brokers who serve them. The new e-commerce platform will enable brokers to write business, and customers to receive service, at the point of sale, and will reduce costs as well.

Further information on the above achievements and additional examples of our progress across all areas of the CSR programme can be found in the attached PDF.